Caster



' April .27, 1926.

C. W. SMITH CASTER.

Filed May 10, 1923.

INVENTOR C. Wfimilb,

S S w H W BY ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 27, 1926 ffi i fifi fiTATES PATENT @FFHZE.

CLARENCE WILLARD SMITH, OF MEXIA, TEXAS.

GASTER.

Application filed May 10, 1923. Serial No. 638,081.

To all 10. 20721 may concern.- the outer periphery of the cylindrical por- Be it known that I, CLARENCE innitus tion. This depending flange 15 is internally Sntrrn, a citizen of the United States, and a threaded and is threadedly engaged with an resident of Mercia, in the county of Limeexternally threaded flange 16 provided on a stone and Eitate of Texas, have invented cerretaining cup 1?. The retaining cup 17 intain new and useful Improvements in eludes a concave conv X portion 18 and is Casters, of which the following is a speciprovided with a shoulder 19 of polygonal fication. formation which is disposed intermediate This invention relates to an improvement the concavo convex portion 18 and the flange in casters, and the object of the invention is 16 thereof. The concavo convex portion of to provide a caster which is strong and durthe retaining cup is provided with an openable yet of simple construction and which ing 20 and around and above said opening it is attractive in appearance, the caster being is formed with a smooth bearing surface 21. so constructed and organized to be suseep- On the bearing surface 21 a floor engaging tible of being readily taken away for purportion or ball 22 is arranged and this ball poses of replacement and repair and being 22 has a section thereof projecting through adapted to be quiclny and permanent y the opening 20 and below the retaining cup lubricated without necessitating detaching 18, The ball 22 is maintained on the bearthe same from the article or device to which ing surface 21 and projecting through the 26 it is applied. opening 20 by a number, preferably five, of Other objects and advantages of the inanti-friction balls 23 which are arranged vent-ion reside in certain novel features of above and engaging the ball 22, the anti the construction, combination and arrangefriction. balls 22 also engaging the inner nent of parts which will be hereinafter smooth surface of the flange 16 of the remore fully described and particularly pointtaining cup and a smooth flat surface 11 of ed out in the appended claim, reference the steel: or body portion 10 which is combeing had to the accompanying drawings prehended within the flange 15. In this forn'iing part of this specification, and in manner while the ball 22 is firmly mainq hi h tained in position to engage the floor or sup- 30 Figure 1 is a view in elevation, showing porting surface at all times it is nevertheone form of at aching caster; less free to partake of movement in any di- Figure 2 is a similar view, showing a rection. Preferably the arrangement is such slightly modified form; that the ball 22 is forced slightly away from Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the its seat or supporting surface 21 when active 35 caster, taken partly in vertical. section and to support the caster the ball 22 at such time partly in elevation; and engaging the anti-friction balls 23.

Figure 1 is a view in horizontal section, The polygonal shoulders 13 and 19 great- One fi d e f Fi r 3 ly facilitate assembly and disassembly of Referring to the drawings and more the retaining cup or stock or body portion 40 i ll t Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4:, the 1111- and render it easily accessible tothe interior moral 1O designates the stock or body porof t Caster as W ll a he balls 22 nd 23- tion of the caster which includes a cylinthus greatly facilitating replacement and drical portion 11 converging or tapering repair of the various parts. toward the upper t f the caster as in In order to provide lubr cation for the dicated at 12. Above the tapered portion 12 caster the stools or body portion 11 is drilled of the caster a shoulder 13 of polygonal or otherwise suitably formed with a number, formation is provided and above the shoulpreferably two, of oil ducts 25 which extend der 13 an attaching stem 14 is integrally from the tapered portion 12 through the or formed and provides one means of attachbody of the stock into the space or cavity in 50 ing the shoulder to the article or device to which the balls 22 and 23 are arranged, this which the caster is applied, the stem 1 1 space or cavity being defined by the stock fitting in the socket S provided therefor in or body portion 11, its flange 15, and the the member M to which the caster is applied. parts of the retaining cup 17. A depending annular flange 15 is integrally In lieu of providing an integral stem 14 formed with the portion 11 of the stock or and fitting the same in a suitable socket or body of the caster and is continuous with element to be supported a supporting plate 26 may be provided, the supporting plate 26 being suitably secured to the caster and being attached by screws 27 to the member to be supported. The caster of Figure 2 which is designated at 28 is in all other respects identical in construction and mode of operation as that shown in Figures 1, 3'

and 4.

I claim:

In a caster, a stock having a cylindrical body and being tapered toward its upper end and provided at its upper end with a polygonal shoulder having attaching means above said shoulder, said stock being also provided with a depending and internally threaded annular flange, a retaining cup having an upstanding externally threaded annular flange engageable with the stock and being provided with a concavo convex body portion having an opening therein and provided with a bearing surface around said opening, said cup also having a shoulder of polygonal formation intermediate its flange and its concavo-convex body portion, a floor engaging ball arranged in the retaining cup and having a portion thereof projecting through the opening; in the cup and below the caster, and anti-friction balls engaging the supporting ball, the flange of the retaining cup and the adjacent face of the stock.

CLARENCE lVILLARD SMITH 

